Decoys are used by hunters to attract waterfowl, such as ducks, in an attempt to bring them into shotgun shooting range. Decoys commonly employed are single fowl shaped bodies that float and usually tethered to stay in a general location.
Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 8,950,103 teaches a dunking decoy apparatus comprising a frame including an upper frame portion extending above a surface of a body of water and a lower frame portion extending below the surface of the body of water. The frame includes at least two opposing arms extending outwardly from a base of the lower frame portion. Float means such as an inner tube or air filled tire or bladder on the frame supports the base causes at least a portion of it to float in the body of water at a selected depth. An anchor extends from the frame below the base and attaches to the frame by a line at a selected position. The anchor rests on the bottom surface of the body of water and holds the frame at a selected stationary position in the water. An electric motor supported on the frame at a selected position above the surface of the body of water includes a shaft extending from the motor in cooperative engagement with a pitman arm rotatably connecting thereto. A pitman connects to the pitman arm in rotational communication with the pitman arm and the motor. A tether line attaches to a selected attachment point of the pitman extending along each one of the at least two arms extending from the frame. A tether line guide means extends from each one of the at least two arms. Means for movably mounting the tether line pitman on the frame provides movement along a predetermined path. At least one floatable first decoy and a floatable second decoy attaches to a distal end of each opposing tether line. The rotation of the pitman arm in a circulation motion creates a cam action decreasing and increasing the length of the tether line causing at least a portion of the floatable first decoy to be submerged and simultaneously increasing the length of the opposing tether line causing at least a portion of the floatable second decoy to surface. The present invention provides for an improved decoy with a submerged drive unit which makes the frame and motor assembly completely submergible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,257 uses a carousel structure mounted above the water than can be seen by approaching game and creates an obstacle for ducks. U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,560 uses a complex underwater structure requiring multiple anchors and a remote power source requiring underwater installation. U.S. Pat. No. 6,625,919 teaches a decoy connected to a pivotally mounted transport arm and moving of the transport arm an decoy mounted thereon to a position along an arc between proximal and distal locations relative to the surface of the water. U.S. Patent Publication 20060143968 teaches a device for rotation of a decoy.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,586 teaches the use of a submersible frame and motor assembly for imparting motion to decoys using leads extending to decoys on the surface. U.S. Patent Publication 20030024146 teaches a plurality of decoys mounted on a frame extending from a central point. U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,885 teaches the use of a shaft having a plurality of arms and outer bearing tube rotatably attached to each arm at selected intervals and depths whereby rotation of a shaft results in movement of the decoys. U.S. Pat. No. 7,788,840 teaches an apparatus including a rotating support rod including pivoting decoy supports extending from a base suspended by a tether to an anchor. U.S. Pat. No. 7,043,865 teaches a floating decoy apparatus utilizing a rotating frame suspended at a selected depth by an anchor and including a powered movable decoy extending from an elevated central frame member.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,140 to Brock discloses a motion system so for decoys comprising a frame suspended beneath the surface. The frame is suspended from a plurality of floating decoys by a guide wire or string, one end of which is tied to the front of each decoy and the other of which is tied to the frame. Also attached to the frame is a vertically mounted motor with the propeller oriented towards and parallel with the water surface. When activated, the motor drives the frame in a downward direction, thereby dragging the front portion of the decoys beneath the water surface to simulate a waterfowl in the feeding position. The principal disadvantage of Brock is that the device operates using an underwater motor. Under-water motors such as those used in Yerger and Brock are expensive to purchase and require routine maintenance due to the corrosion caused by long periods of submersion. Additionally, the Brock device is not capable of maintaining a continuous splashing and rippling action on the surface of the water, because once the Brock motor is activated, the frame is pushed away from the water surface and down towards the bottom of the water body. Furthermore, the character and amount of ripples and splashing cannot be controlled using the Brock device because it is difficult to alter the distance between the underwater motor and the water surface once the decoy system is deployed.
None of the prior art references provide a method which utilizes a cam mechanism to alternately dunk opposing duck decoys extending from arms or arms attached to a central frame and drive unit assembly can be completely submerged as described and claimed in the instant invention.